Dreaming
by Schmoo999
Summary: After the final victory, Hermione dreams.


The first dream happened the night after the victory over Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Harry and Hermione escaped to the Gryffindor common room. No one else was up there when they stumbled in. They collapsed together on a couch in front of the cold hearth of the large fireplace.

Hermione turned to look at Harry who was staring into the dark fireplace and she laid her head on his shoulder. It was done and while it would take for it to sink in that after 7 years there was nothing more to fear from Voldemort at the moment exhaustion from the last couple of days was rapidly over taking her.

But there was one thing nagging at her now that it was all over and she had some quiet time to think.

"Harry, what were the memories that Professor Snape gave you?" she asked snuggled down deeper with him in the couch.

Harry recounted all that he had seen in the pensieve to her. Hermione felt tears silently running down her face over the facts of Snape's friendship and love for Lily Evans. Oh how it must of hurt him to see her turn away, his only friend, his only love.

Long after Harry fell into an exhausted deep sleep, Hermione was still awake thinking over how misunderstood Snape was and how she was right. She knew deep down he was capable of love and now there was proof of it.

She drew an old afghan she found in a bin and settled down to sleep and with sleep came dreams and maybe not so much a dream.

Hermione found herself in a dark room with dark wood paneling and cozy couches and chairs scattered around the room. There was a huge fireplace with a fire merrily burning on the hearth. She was looking at the paintings on the walls and the books in piles on the end tables so did not notice the room's occupant until he spoke.

"Miss Granger, I am not at all surprised to find you are the one who entered this room," he said smoothly, rising up from a chair in a darken corner of the room.

"Now the question that might be asked is why are you here?"

Hermione sighed and looking down at the carpet she said, "I am sorry."

"I just wanted to know you will be missed and I know that you aren't likely to believe me, but I admire you. Harry told me of the memories you left him. Oh Professor to love so deeply and so long, it makes my soul ache with the thought of it…and grieve for you. So that is what I wanted to say. I think. I have never felt this unsure before and this whole dream has me a bit off balance," Hermione said.

She rushed the words out one tripping over the other in front, afraid that Severus Snape would cut her off before she could express everything she felt filling her heart.

He stood looking down at her, glaring as he did so much in life, before sighing and turning from her and sitting down in front of the fire in a chair and gestured to the other sitting at an angle from the first.

"I will admit that I have no experience with showing feelings, well feelings that can make one vulnerable as love can do," he said.

Hermione got up and and sat down at his feet, tentatively laying her hands on Severus black clad knee.

"Your love for Lily made you protect Harry and us. I can't thank you enough for that. Also despite how you might hate it I admire you for it. I could let that grow into more if we had the time but alas," Hermione felt tears welling up in her eyes. She bent her head down so her hair could hide it.

"I don't know how this dream meeting or whatever it is has happened. But I wanted to let you know you will be missed Professor, no matter how you might hate this," she said in an almost whisper with her eyes shut tight.

Hermione felt a hand stroke down her hair and then a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"I think it time for me to go Miss Granger. It is also time for you to rest, you have had a busy day I am sure," Severus said in a quiet firm voice. Then he stood and Hermione sat, then she felt herself scooped up in his black clad arms. He laid her down gently.

"Goodbye," he murmured.

Hermione laid on the sofa and drifted off and then completely woke up gasping on the couch in the common room. She touched her cheek and remembered Severus kissing her there and whispering his thanks and good bye.

Tears ran down Hermione's face as her heart said Goodbye too.


End file.
